Mars
Nothing Says Springtime on Mars Like Explosions of Sand
Springtime on Earth can be a riotous affair, as plants come back to life and creatures large and small get…
It Hasn’t Rained on Mars for a Long Time, but These Sand Dunes Look Like Raindrops, and They’re Filled with Chemicals Made in Water
A recent image from the MRO shows rows of olivine-rich dunes in the Copernicus Crater on Mars, a feature that…
Mars 2020 Rover Gets its Helicopter Sidekick
Work on the Mars 2020 Rover is heating up as the July/August 2020 launch date approaches. Mission engineers just attached…
ExoMars Parachute Test Fails, for the Second Time
The ExoMars 2020 mission hit another snag recently when a high-altitude parachute test resulted in damage again to one of…
Blankets of Silica Aerogel Could Make Parts of Mars Habitable
The idea of somehow terra-forming Mars to make it more habitable is a visionary, sci-fi dream. But though global terra-forming…
Pictures from Curiosity Show the Bottom of an Ancient Lake on Mars, the Perfect Place to Search for Evidence of Past Life
It's all about the detail. In a way, Mars looks like a dusty, dead, dry, boring planet. But science says…
NASA is Building Robots That Can Climb Rock and Ice Cliffs
Engineers at NASA JPL are busy developing next-generation robotic missions that will allow astronauts to explore harder-to-reach places in the…
Mars’ North Pole is Doing the Dust Storms Thing Again
It's easy to take for granted the detailed, almost real-time knowledge of Mars that we have at our fingertips. After…
Is NASA Sacrificing Sending Astronauts to Mars in Order to Get to the Moon Sooner?
By prioritizing speed over sustainability, the current US administration may be sacrificing NASA's long-term goals of establishing a presence on…
Where Does Mars’ Methane Go? New Study Provides Possible Answer, with Implications in the Search for Life.
A new study from Aarhus University offers new insight into what is making Mars' methane "disappear" - with serious implications…